Take A Chance On Me
by Softly Spoken Words
Summary: Kagome enters high school with this on her mind: NO BOYS. When she catches the attention of the jock Inuyasha, she knows that is no longer achievable. But she may learn a thing or two about taking a risk, taking that leap of faith--learning how to love.
1. He Loves A Challenge

**Author's Note: **Heeeello all! I have finally come up with another story, and although this is idea is cliche like my previous story _Gotcha_, I do plan on trying to complete this... Or at least finish the 2nd chapter. Btw, Kagome is pretty OOC in the beginning chapters. Please bear with me. With that said, please R&R, and I hope you enjoy!

_Summary: Kagome Higurashi enters high school with boys as the last thing on her mind. When she catches the attention of the hot jock, Inuyasha Takahashi, her life takes a 180 turn. But she may learn a thing or two about taking a risk, taking that leap of faith--learning how to love._

*Thoughts are in _italics _& this is based on the AMERICAN system of high school.

* * *

Chapter One: He Loves A Challenge

It took a lot of deliberation for her "First Day of High School" outfit. Kagome Higurashi thought long and hard about this because: one, she didn't want to bring attention to herself. Two, she didn't want to bring attention to herself. Three, she didn't want to bring attention to herself. So she settled on playing it safe. She looked in her full length mirror hanging on her wall and scanned her reflection with her cerulean eyes. Kagome wore blue skinny jeans, a somewhat loose white v-neck shirt, a small grey thermal jacket over that, and black Converse to finish the look.

She smiled satisfactorily. Nothing that would make the popular girls want to beat her up or invite her into their group. Perfect.

"Kagome! Sango's here to walk with you!"

"Okay, Mama, I'll be right down!"

She ran her lint roller over her whole body one last time, slung her black backpack onto one shoulder, and ran downstairs where her best friend since 3rd grade, Sango Tajiya, waited.

"Kagome..." Her friend clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "No colors again?"

"You know I don't want to draw attention to myself, Sango," she said, between bites of the toast Mrs. Higurashi had prepared. "Besides, you can never go wrong with black and whites!" Kagome gave her best friend the once-over. Sango was wearing a yellow off-the-shoulder top that had a cute graphic design in the bottom right corner. A thick white belt was cinched beneath her bust, accentuating her curves. Her white pants were anything but ordinary. Sango had decorated it herself, adding patterns of intersecting yellow and orange lines at the bottom and back pockets, giving her pants an artistic look. Her yellow flats had huge sunflowers decorating the front. She accessorized with bracelets and earrings, and her trademark pink eyeshadow. Kagome would have given anything to have the courage to dress so expressively. Out of the both of them, Sango was the more fashion forward one. "You're looking... sunny."

Sango smiled. "Thanks, Kags. Well we better get going! Come on. Thanks for the breakfast, Mrs. H!"

"Bye, Mama!"

The teens then proceeded to descend the many steps of the Higurashi Shrine. For the billionth time in her life, Kagome wondered why shrines were built so high up. _No one wants to walk up and down that much! That's what they invented elevators for!_

"So are you excited?" Sango asked eagerly.

"For what?"

"High school, dummy!"

"Are you?"

"Yeah, I can't wait to see a whole bunch of fresh faces! I heard our teachers let us get away with whatever and that it's super easy to ditch. Oh, our cafeteria is the best too! Not to mention all the cute juniors and seniors that will be surrounding us." She winked playfully. "So are you hyped up or what?"

"Yes! Of course. Not for the same reasons you are though..."

"The guys?"

She nodded and chose her words carefully. "I just want to get through the next four years... quickly. And... painlessly."

Sango understood her reasons for feeling that way. Her best friend, though outgoing, could be extremely guarded at times. Even though they were close now, Sango could still feel the walls Kagome put up around her heart. It hurt to see someone so kind, yet so defensive, but she knew that she had her reasons. Still she wondered how long someone could let their past hold them back from their future. "What kind of attitude is that?!"

Kagome contemplated her answer to the question. When she finally replied, she said simply, "A sensible one."

* * *

Inuyasha Takahashi languidly stretched his arms above his head. He scratched his head sleepily and flipped open his phone. _Is it 8:15 A.M. already? Man, school starts in fifteen minutes... I guess I should get ready..._

And then he went right back into bed.

"Master Inuyasha, WAKE UP!" Totosai, Inuyasha's personal butler, yelled. When the adolescent didn't even stir, the butler resorted to the bucket. Totosai sighed to himself. This was the fifth time he'd had to use it this month, and it wasn't even halfway through the month yet. In a few moments, a loud roar was heard throughout the Takahashi Mansion.

"TOTOSAI, YOU FUCKING BITCH!"

The rest of the occupants in the house weren't even phased. Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother, didn't bat an eyelash as she sipped her morning coffee. Her husband, Inutaisho, devoured his breakfast in large bites. _Does he even swallow?_ She wondered. Sesshomaru, quiet and stoic as ever, went in and out of the room unnoticed as well.

"Pay up, Ayame." Kaede, Inuyasha's caretaker as a child, held her hand out. She now lived with the family since Izayoi had insisted she reside with them after her years of service and the fact that she had no family left.

"I don't know how you _always_ know what days Inuyasha ends up needing the bucket! It's uncanny!" The red-headed cook gushed.

"It comes from years of living with them. Here, child, watch the master at work. Now Inuyasha's going to stomp down the stairs."

STOMP STOMP STOMP. The half-demon youth muttered something darkly under his breath. Something about evil butlers and their plan to dominate the world.

"He's going to huff at the second to last step."

True to her word, Inuyasha huffed and puffed like the Big Bad Wolf.

"He'll slam the front door as he leaves..."

SLAM!

"And bid his parents farewell as he leaves on his motorcycle."

A faint "See ya Pops and Mom" was heard over the rumbling of the vehicle. By then Kaede was counting her money and decided she would retire to her room and rest.

Minutes later, Ayame stood in the same spot, dumbfounded. "Simply uncanny."

* * *

When Kagome and Sango arrived at school, their eyes bulged out of their sockets. The front yard was as large as half their old middle school! The atmosphere felt so different. More... grown-up to put it simply. The two freshman's eyes were met with the sight of students smoking at the side of a building, couples making out by fences or trees, and extremely HOT juniors and seniors! Sango's heart fluttered at the thought of an older boy courting her whereas Kagome's eyes narrowed.

After picking up their schedules in the office, the two girls decided to go explore the campus. Kagome and Sango stood beside the parking lot chatting with Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi. The three were an inseparable group of gossipy old hens. _Well except Ayumi,_ Kagome thought. _She's quiet and thoughtful. _

A gust of wind blew past them, mussing up the girls' hair. But that was the least of Kagome's concerns. She raced after her flying schedule, past the smokers, the neckers, the hotties, and right into the parking lot. It finally stopped as she bent down to retrieve it in the parking spaces for motorcycles.

SCREEEEEECH!

Fleeting thoughts of people she loved were in Kagome's mind as she mentally prepared herself for death. _Souta, Mom, Grandpa, Buyo, Sang--_

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, BITCH?!"

Kagome gazed up into furious amber eyes. She could just get lost in them. Silver hair framed a tanned face with defined cheekbones and a present scowl. Two triangular ears rested atop the silver mane and twitched impatiently. The black leather jacket he donned showed off the outline of the abs he had underneath, thanks to the thin white tank. He took her breath away and infuriated her at the same time. This guy sure had some nerve! She didn't even know him and he had called her a bitch!

"MY SCHEDULE FLEW AWAY, ASSHOLE! MAYBE YOU SHOULD WATCH OUT BEFORE YOU KILL SOMEONE, DOG BOY!"

"BITCH!"

"JERK!"

"WENCH!"

"ASSHOLE!"

"ANNOYING!"

"STUPID!"

Finally deciding she was too mature to argue any longer with the likes of him, Kagome stomped away, full of rage. "I hope I never see you again! GO ROT IN HELL."

But the half-demon's anger had subsided by then, and Inuyasha's lips curled up into a smirk. _Oh, I love a challenge._

**Author's Note:** So how did I do? (=

* * *


	2. Smokin' Son of a Bitch

**Author's Note: **HELLO! I am so glad that the following: _Silver15Rose, Say0mi Saki, nelly, Oh My Kira, Emily-twilight, Diamond369, La Vixen de Amor, _and _XxOceanexX_ enjoyed the first chapter. Here is the next installment of Take A Chance On Me. Oh yeah, although no one pointed it out, Kagome isn't THAT OOC in the beginning chapters. When I first wrote that note, I had different conflicts in mind than what I have now and forgot to change it. If there are any typos or grammatical errors, please excuse me for whatever I miss. I have no beta, nor am I searching for one, but please know I am triple-checking for mistakes. With that said, please R&R, and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Two: Smokin' Son Of A Bitch

"What was _that_ all about, Kags?" Sango asked when Kagome returned to their group.

"Some jerkwad who failed in his attempts to kill me. Well, it's whatever now! I don't plan on seeing his ugly face around here a lot." _Lies._ Her brain screamed. _He's a smokin' son of a--_

RIIIIIING!

"Oh my Kami, it's time! It's time! It's time! We're going to high school!" Eri squealed excitedly. The other girls just laughed and headed towards the front doors along with the other high schoolers present, some reluctantly and some zealously.

As she entered the building and tried to locate her homeroom, Kagome only had one thing in her mind: _Smokin' son of a bitch or not, I'm going to make this the BEST year ever._

_

* * *

_

Kagome would look forward to homeroom everyday. Their teacher, Mr. T (short for Tadanobu) as he requested to be called, was originally from America and had moved to Japan in hopes of reconnecting with his roots. He was quite the looker. Not only that, he was easy going and laid back. No seating charts. Ipods and MP3s on. Food was allowed. He said he knew the "stress and time it took into getting ready in the morning" and sometimes there was "simply no time for breakfast".

Kami, was there ever a better homeroom teacher?

Kagome chatted enthusiastically to Sango who sat beside her. "I can't believe we're actually in high school!"

"I know, me too! Oh yeah, let me see your schedule! I didn't get to compare it to mine this morning since SOMEONE took forever." Sango rolled her eyes and grabbed the small slip of paper that her best friend handed to her.

"Kags, we only have MATH together, and that's the class I hate the most!"

"What? That's it?! I prayed for 3 nights straight for us to get classes together!" Kagome joked as she laid the returned schedule on her desk.

Sango laughed. "You're such a loser."

"I know," Kagome giggled.

There was slight commotion coming from the front of the classroom but the two girls paid it no mind and continued on with their conversation. _Probably some guy who went to the wrong class or came really late,_ Kagome thought.

"Hey, Sango, can I ask you something really quick?"

"Sure, Hinata. Hold on, Kags, this will take one minute."

As her best friend turned to talk to their classmate, Kagome let her mind wander back to this morning. She felt her blood boil. _Ugh, he's such a jerk. I hope I never ever see him again! He doesn't even know me and he calls me such rude names! What nerve. _Then she remembered his clear, tan complexion and the way his ears twitched at the slightest of sounds or how his golden eyes seemed ablaze with fury, burning deep into her blue orbs. It was so enchanting, alluring... beautiful. _He_ was the epitome of beautiful, and despite her hard feelings toward him, she couldn't deny the fact that he'd been blessed with good looks.

_Stop this! You don't even know the guy's name and he's already occupying so much of your thoughts! Puh-lease woman, get a hold of yourself!_

She hadn't noticed the new presence that had claimed the empty seat to the left of her, or the smirk that donned the person's face. They leaned forward to whisper huskily in Kagome's ear, "Are you tired?"

She stiffened. It couldn't be...

"Cause you've been running through my mind _all day_."

"Y-you! W-what..." Kagome stuttered.

"What, cat's got your tongue? You seemed to be very vocal today in the parking lot, screaming all _sorts_ of things." He slid closer to her. "Wait 'til I get you alone, I'll make you scream even more." He licked the shell of her ear and smirked. He could hear her heart thudding loudly in her chest.

"Eep! G-get away from me, jerk!"

Unfortunately for her, there were no vacant seats left. _Damn_.

"The name's Inuyasha, hot stuff." When she refused to acknowledge him, he glanced at the schedule she left out. Kagome Higurashi, hm? His eyes scanned the rest of the information printed onto the page. First: Language Arts, Second: Math, Third: Social Studies, Fourth: Physical Education, Fifth: Science, and Sixth: Exploratory Art. He chuckled lowly to himself.

"Hey, _Kags_," he drawled. "Looks like we have all our classes together."

Kagome felt her blood run cold. She thumped her head on the desk below and made a gun with her hands and put it to her head then pulled the trigger. Inuyasha chuckled lowly.

* * *

It was nearing the end of 4th period and lunch was after. So far each class was the same; the teachers would drone on and on about getting involved in school, how fast the year would go by, and the expectations each student was supposed to meet. It made Kagome wonder why so many students got so hyped up for the first day of school when it always turned out to be so routine and monotonous.

True to his word, Inuyasha was in all of Kagome's classes so far. Thankfully, in most classes they were seated alphabetically, and Takahashi and Higurashi certainly weren't next to each other. Good, the less they interacted, the better.

After the P.E. teacher blah blah blah'ed more about their expectations, the bell finally rang. All the students hurried out of the room and into the gym to line up for lunch. Kagome met up with Sango after paying for her food. They chose to sit under a shady tree that was located in the quad, which was an open space for students to eat and socialize.

"This will be our hang out spot from now on, 'kay?"

"Kay," Kagome agreed with a smile. "So how was French?"

"Don't get me started." Sango said with a venomous tone.

"Why?! What happened?!"

"To put it simply, you know how they say French is the language of love? Well there's a guy in there who is too eager for some lovin'!"

Kagome pondered this for a moment. "Sango... Did someone try to put the moves on you?"

"Yes," she grumbled.

The Higurashi girl burst into fits of laughter. "How is that a bad thing?!"

"He--"

"SANGO, MY LOVE!"

"Speak of the devil," the aforementioned girl groaned. "What the hell do you want, Miroku?!"

"Well my best friend seems to have ditched me so I thought I would come and join you and bask in the ambience of your presence!"

"Get the hell away from me, you stupid, no good--"

"Oh darling, love of my life, Sango. You fail to see the bond we share! Our love cannot be overcome by your strong feelings of denial! It is everlasting, forever and ever and ever. You are like the cheese to my burger, the tartar sauce to my fries, the noodles to my soup, the fire in my soul, burning eternally like my mad, passionate, deep love for--"

"See what I mean, Kagome?!"

Kagome looked at Miroku. He was the lean, muscular type. _Like Inuyasha... OH MY KAMI, STOP IT!_ He had a rat's tail that he tied at the nape of his neck and violet eyes that seemed to twinkle with laughter. He was tall and had the nicest smile Kagome had ever seen. The dimple didn't hurt either. "He's not _that_ bad, Sango!"

Miroku finally noticed the other presence joining him and Sango. "And who might this fair maiden be?" He asked with a wicked gleam in his eyes. He reached for her two hands and clasped them in his own.

"Um, K-Kagome?" She blushed.

Sango narrowed her eyes. "Here it comes, Kags. Don't say I didn't tell you so."

"Will you bear my child?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! WHAT THE HELL?! YOU PERVERT! GET YOUR BLOODY HANDS OFF MY ASS!"

SLAP!

An unconscious Miroku lay on the ground.

* * *

Art. He loved art. Though he may not seem like the type, he enjoyed the works of Van Gogh, Picasso, Da Vinci, Monet, and many more. And he hated to brag, wait no, he loved to brag, but he was quite the sketcher. He wasn't just talking about doodling dicks or measly little stick figures either.

Now he loved art even more with his new found opportunity to show Kagome Higurashi just how irritable he could be. She was really cute when she was mad.

As he entered the class, Inuyasha spotted thirty or so easels set up with wooden stools behind each one. In the back of the room there was a sink, art supplies and machines, and two large cabinets. Decorating the walls were masterpieces ranging in artistic style: Renaissance, Impressionist, Mosaic, and Modern. Although he didn't care much for the latter one, art was art.

_Bingo._

"What's cookin, good lookin'?"

She groaned. "What do you want, Dog Boy?"

"Aw, is that any way to talk to the man of your dreams?" He asked as he claimed the stool next to her.

Kagome snorted in a very unladylike fashion and turned away from him. At that moment, the art teacher decided to make his entrance. He walked slowly and let his eyes run over each unfamiliar face with a strange expression on his face. His outfit was... to put it nicely, worth the second look. He turned heads, that's for sure. He paused in the front of the class, heaved a long drawn-out breath, and abruptly turned around to write on the whiteboard in large, bold letters "Mr. M". Boy, he was dramatic too!

"Y'all can call me the M-Dawg too, foshizzle ma nizzle, bitches!" Mr. M was met with blank stares. "...It was a joke."

Nervous laughter filled the room.

"Well let's continue before you guys decide to change classes or begin to question my sanity. I'm sure you've heard enough babble about school rules and procedures and such, so I'll give you a tour of the class and then explain your first assignment." Mr. M then proceeded to point out where everything was, and the consequences for not taking proper care of supplies. "Now, your first task is to make a visual representation of your partner, which will be the person to the right of you. For the first five minutes, you will get to know each other. However, this work of art may not be directly related to your partner. So for example, if I were to make a visual representation of the school, I could not draw any staff members, the mascot, any students, etc. This is due twenty minutes before the end of tomorrow's class. Capiche?"

Many heads nodded simultaneously.

"One last thing: this is _art_. Do not hold back in self-expression, and do not let inhibitions get in your way. With that said, commence with your duties!"

Mr. M promptly collapsed in his desk chair.

"Hello, _partner_," a baritone voice murmured.

Kagome groaned for what seemed like the millionth time today. Suddenly, death seemed like a good option.

"You did this on PURPOSE, didn't you?! Ugh, why can't you leave me alone?!"

"Maybe... I don't want to. Maybe I want to get to know you."

"Why would you want to get to know me? There's hundreds of beautiful girls at this school." She muttered.

"Babe, I only have eyes for youuuu," Inuyasha grinned cheekily.

Kagome held back her smile. He was not going to grow on her. Not one bit, not if she could help it. "Okay well, um...tell me about yourself. The basics, please."

"I like girls. I have an older half-brother. My parents are ridiculously in love, and one day I wish for that to be me and you." He winked. "I play sports, namely basketball, swimming, and boxing. Art is my favorite class. My best friend is Miroku--"

"Miroku?! Violet eyes, tall, lean, and handsome?!"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "The first two were right, and yeah. Have you met him?" He was silent for a moment and Kagome could see the screws in his head turning. "Oh God, did he lay a hand on you?! If he did, I swear to God that fucking pervert'll..."

_Jealous type,_ she noted. "Don't worry about it. I think he only has eyes for my friend Sango. So continue."

"Hm, what else? I want to get to know you personally. You're cute when you're mad--"

"I'm getting to know about you, not about what you like about ME!"

"Okay, okay..." He thought long and hard about his last statement. When Inuyasha spoke, there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Let's just say that there's more to me than meets the eye."

Then she had her inspiration.

"Your turn, babe. Tell me about you."

Pointedly ignoring his nickname for her, she started. "I'm fifteen. I like American movies. I'm STRICTLY a cat person."

"I can change that!"

"I don't think so! I live at a shrine. I adore my mom, brother, and grandfather. I don't like to fight with people. My favorite colors are green and pink. Is that enough? Am I boring you?"

"Oh no, this is the highlight of my day! Wasn't I the highlight of yours?" He joked.

Kagome's face then turned serious, and her eyes glazed over with some unknown emotion and looked far away. "To be honest, the highlight of my day is when I make someone else smile."

And right then and there was when Inuyasha found his inspiration as well.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I tried to make this chapter longer and more entertaining. How did I do?


	3. Mirrors

**Author's Note:** I'm super sorry for the late installment of Chapter 3. For those who haven't seen my profile, my laptop had broken and I just got a new one. I was overjoyed at the response from readers to Chapter 2, and I hope that I don't disappoint this time around! With that said, please R&R, and I hope you enjoy!

*Review Responses;

_Emily-twilight_: HAHAHA, I do that too, all the time!

_Say0mi Saki: _Yes yes, he does need to catch up. I can't say he likes her YET, but he's fascinated with her in the sense that he really wants to get to know her. And mess with her.

_coolcat103:_ I'm glad you think it's funny! That's what I'm aiming for here.

_Mari:_ Thank you thank you thank you so much. Yes, their drawings are in this chapter. Hope you like it!

_InuyashaKagome:_ HAHA, the Kaede thing really came into my head last minute. Glad you liked it! The smiling thing was something of my own, because I really do love that. Her past should come into play in about 5 chapters or so? Approximately. And I'm glad you love it, love the support.

_AnimeLuvaRox: _And I loved your review!

_Diamond369_: Hope you like this chapter then!

_Allana: _Thank you so so much.

_Alice54: _I'm glad you liked it! I love cheesy pick up lines. They just crack me up.

_psycho-pyro-shrink _& _kikyou26 & Oh My Kira__:_ Here you go.

* * *

Chapter Three: Mirrors

"Day Two! We survived! Oh, HALLELUJAH!"

Kagome walked ten paces before Sango with the "I wish I could say I had no idea who she is but I actually do because she's my best friend" look on her face. Yup, it was one of those days. She yawned. She'd stayed up all night slaving over her representation of Inuyasha. In all actuality, it wasn't her best or the most complicated thing to do, but for some reason it had taken her a reasonably long amount of time to make a simple drawing. Especially when she had an aptitude for sketching.

As they headed over to Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi, a breathless "Sango, Sango!" was heard.

Kagome stifled her laughter. Her best friends annoyed expression and Miroku's ecstatic one were just hilarious. As they say, love is _blind._

"What do you _want_?!"

"Sango, my love, I simply just had to hear your voice first thing in the morning!" His voice lowered to a mock seductive tone. "I heard it all night in my dreams too."

_Definitely Inuyasha's best friend._

"Miroku, I suggest you remove your hand from my derriere before I remove it from your body."

He laughed wholeheartedly. Threats really didn't faze this guy, did they?! "Oh, San, you wound me! I must let you know I'm very skilled with these hands. It would be horrible if you weren't able to witness what these babies could do! I move them very fast, precisely. Oh and I have good muscle memory so I know what buttons to push." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"KAMI, you are disgusting and so perverted! I'm not the girl who's up for that! Get your mind OUT of the gutter for once!"

He suddenly looked very very smug. "I don't know what YOU'RE talking about, but I'm talking about typing! Who's mind is in the gutter now?!"

She glared at him, shooting daggers with her eyes. She hmphed a little bit before turning on her heel and sticking her nose in the air. "Kags, we're leaving." As Sango made a motion to grab Kagome's hand and drag her away, Miroku stopped them.

"Wait! Let me tell you what I was doing last night! It was for you, San!" He declared loudly. Kagome scurried away from the scene. She'd had enough for one morning! Many heads turned at the exclamation and students snickered. First he put his hand on her butt, then he makes her out to be a pervert, and last but not LEAST he publicly humiliates her in front of the student body? Miroku was really a piece of work.

"Hurry up. You have ten seconds to speak before I kill you with my bare hands," she hissed with a venomous look in her eyes.

"Are you religious?"

"...What?"

"Because you're the answer to my prayers."

She added two and two, then, "Don't tell me you looked up pick-up lines on the internet."

"Okay, my love, I didn't! Oh and Sango?"

"YES, Miroku."

He smiled cheekily. "You don't need car keys to drive me crazy."

She groaned and started to walk away to where Kagome was. _How could she leave me with this nutcase?!_

He grabbed her hands and Sango whirled around to look at him, questioning with her hazel eyes. "You must be a magician, because everytime I look at you, everyone else disappears."

She flushed as bright red as the shirt she was wearing. _Okay, he isn't that bad..._

"Eep!"

Miroku had a lazy grin on his face.

"YOU PERVERT! GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!" _SLAP!_

Kagome looked from where she was talking to Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi and snickered. Yup, it was _definitely_ one of those days.

* * *

Lunch couldn't have come fast enough.

"Classes," Sango said between bites of her sandwich, "are a drag."

"Tell me about it! We already have assignments in all our classes, and we have a mile run coming up. I mean, seriously, it's only the second day of school!"

Each girl laughed. Yeah right, they were both smart and athletic. High school was _nothing_.

The freshman boys, if you could _call_ them boys, were a whole different story.

Kagome leaned against the trunk of the tree her and Sango had dubbed their hangout spots and smiled. "High school is pretty fun, huh? It's massive here compared to the middle school." She looked around. There were kids everywhere you looked. There wasn't one empty space besides the tree. She figured most people weren't into the cool and sometimes itchy grass, particularly the girls of the school. Or maybe they were put out by the two freshmen sitting there.

"Yeah, I know. Feels like you'll lose yourself in the crowd sometimes."

"Not you, Sango! You stick out like a sore thumb!" She giggled. "Promise we'll stay close? No matter what."

They hooked pinkies.

"So how is the ol' lover boy?"

"KAGS! Don't jinx anything! Do NOT call him that!"

"He's gone bonkers for you, lady!"

Sango clapped her hands over her ears, repeatedly went "LA LA LA LA" and blocked out Kagome's statements of Miroku being head over heels for her. But inside her heartbeat quickened and blood boiled at the same time, and she could feel the butterflies in her stomach growing, threatening to explode. Was it possible to feel something for someone this fast? She shook it off as a physical attraction and nothing more, because she had to be honest when she said Miroku was hot. Very very hot. Like baking cookies on hot.

Oh yeah, that hot.

"Saaaaaaaaaaaango!"

"Speak of the devil," Kagome giggled.

"I'm beginning to think we need to relocate our hang out spot before IT becomes a regular, everyday occurrence."

"Baby, I smell bread! Are you trying to get a fuller figure? And are these FRIES?! They all go down to your butt and trust me, you don't need any more junk in the trunk if you get what I'm saying." The two girls mouths hung open. Sango looked like she was ready to kill and Kagome was holding back snorts. Miroku held up his hands defensively. "I'm not saying it's bad! I mean, I love you just the way you are, but there's nothing wrong with big women. You can never argue with more to love!"

"Aye, Roku, there you are!"

Kagome groaned and smacked her head. "What happened to three's a crowd?!"

"Can it, wench. I'm with my best friend. We come in a package."

"Oh ho ho, Yash, I got my own package, you go find yourself one!" Kagome laughed. Miroku wasn't all that bad! She could see herself becoming fast friends with him.

"Funny. Now come back, that damn Yura is annoying the hell outta me!"

"Yura?" Sango piped up. "The hair obssessed one?"

"Hell yeah! The bitch keeps asking what shampoo and conditioner I use! And then when I tell her for the tenth time she can't taste it or pet it, she asks to cut some to put on her voodoo dolls! What the fuck kinda question is that?!"

The other three were rolling and clutching their stomachs.

"Don't fucking laugh! Bitch is crazy as hell! I can just hear her say--"

"Yaaaaashie! Where ARE you?! I don't like to play games! My dolls are lonely and BALD!"

They erupted in laughter.

"Oh, fuck."

* * *

Art came.

Inuyasha had already finished his piece at home; he'd wanted to get all his ideas down on paper before he forgot. Kagome clutched her sketch in her hand, hand itching to grab onto the pencil and add all those finishing touches.

Mr. M hadn't even bothered to look up from his current project. On the board it had said, "Get to work, first assignment is due soon", and soon the room consisted of students either furiously erasing, sketching, or pulling out clumps of their hair.

The easels set up between Inuyasha's and Kagome's desk prevented any kind of contact so she opted for small talk. She grabbed her color pencils and shaded in the light blues and ceruleans and cobalts into her picture. It was coming along really nicely, she thought. "So... Lunch was... interesting."

His voice sounded bored. "Ha, yeah. Yura is such a psycho."

"Tell me about it! I've known her since pre-K. She was always always always freaking out about her hair."

"Really?"

"Yeah. She once presented a cream she invented at home to increase hair health at the Science Fair."

"She didn't."

"She did."

Were they really having this conversation? A civil one where there wasn't flirting or arguing?

"We're actually having a decent talk!"

The amusement in Inuyasha's voice was easily detectable and she could imagine him smirking right now. "Told you there's more to me than meets the eye, wench. I'm not horrible. I'm a'ight if I do say so myself."

"I wouldn't second that," Kagome said jokingly.

She felt a pencil hit the easel. "Hey!" She laughed. Kagome was happy. This was really nice.

"So... when do you think Sango and Miroku are gonna get together?" She wondered aloud.

"I have no idea, but she's all he talks about. Seriously. I can't even get him to notice Megan Fox anymore."

"That bad?"

"Hell yeah! He's in love. He just doesn't know it yet. And as for your friend, I just know she'll come around sooner or later."

Kagome agreed. "Miroku will grow on her if he hasn't already."

"I give it a 3 months 'til they hook up."

"I say... end of first semester."

There was a challenge in his voice. "Wanna bet?"

"Please, you'll lose anyway. So go ahead! Loser will..."

"Treat to lunch."

"Alright then! It's a bet." Kagome smiled. No way she'd lose this, knowing Sango.

"No influencing her decisions either!" Inuyasha added.

"I wouldn't dream of it!"

"Shake on it."

His arm extended around the easel and she put her hand in his, and they tightened their holds simultaneously. She felt a jolt go through her and Kagome wondered if he felt it too. The two appendages just molded against each other perfectly, as though they were meant to be there. Like two pieces of a puzzle. His hand was warm and calloused, hers was soft. She retracted her hand slowly and behind the easel, she looked at it and wondered what just happened.

Unbeknownst to her, Inuyasha did the same.

Two claps resonated in each students' ears from the front of the room. "Time's up! Return any supplies you may have borrowed to their proper places then take your seats. I'll go first, then you all will go aphabetically."

Mr. M's was a big poster of different colored question marks that ranged in size. "This represents each of you and your young, inquiring minds," he had said and then the first student proceeded. Kagome hadn't really focused on what each person displayed but there were a lot of insignificant items shown like iPods, sunglasses, hearts, and such. Some people didn't even take the time to make a drawing.

"Higurashi, Kagome."

She scrambled to the front.

"Show us your drawing, then explain what inspired you to make it." Mr. M spoke like a broken record and almost looked disappointed and burnt out. Maybe it was the lack of creativity from his students or maybe he just wasn't that interested in what she had to say.

"I, um, made a sunset." Kagome showed her picture to the rest of the class. Widened eyes and slightly open jaws were what she was met with. It was a brilliant capture of a sunset--blends of orange and red and pinks decorated the sky. The waves looked real as they reached their high point and crashed, fanning out and foaming. She glanced at Inuyasha and he smiled slightly, one eyebrow perfectly arched. "I made this because my partner's eyes are golden." Was it her or did the teacher just sigh? "And because there's more to him than meets the eye, and like the ocean, his personality just goes on and on. There's so much left to discover."

Mr. M smiled. "Well done, Kagome. Very creative. A."

She smiled and walked back to her seat.

Inuyasha was last she realized, and Kagome was anxious to see what he made. Did he draw a fat cat? A flower maybe, because she loved pink and green. _That's kind of boring. _What if he made something in reference to how hot he thought she was?! Oh God no. Not in front of class.

But soon enough, he was called.

"Takahashi, Inuyasha."

She heard a chair being pushed back against the tile floor and footsteps. She looked up to the front of the room. What in the world was _that_?!

"You know the drill."

"'Kay, teach. Well what I made is a heart."

Then she looked closer and realized it jndeed _was_ the weird pear shaped organ. He had even taken time to draw out the veins and aorta and different parts of it. _Wow.. he has real talent.. Wait a minute. I thought hearts are red.._

"And well now that you know it's a heart, the picture is pretty self explanatory." Inuyasha turned to look at Kagome, with the corner of his mouth quirked up and a serious expression on his face.

Kagome almost forgot how to breathe.

"Heart of gold."

* * *

**Author's Note:**It is exactly 3:05 A.M. and I finally finished this chapter. I am super sorry if it's boring, but I tried to make it long. Nothing really happens in the beginning so bear with me, but I hope you like it either way!


End file.
